On Sun, Oct 28, 2001 at 05:24:30PM -0300, Daniel Toffetti wrote: | > | > I meant a common metalanguage, so that it could be possible to | > | > write one single application as interface to handle any config | > | > file. | > | > | You should take a look at gconf and its derivatives. The idea is | > | a common configuration/registry-like interface for applications | > | and any number of different backends. | | This is more or less what I was trying to describe, thanks. Besides | 'any number of different backends' it would be great to have (at least) | one common data format, not just the interface, so that developers | can specify the config options for their applications in that format. | | > | Damn. I had a link to some good gconf developer stuff (including | > | rational), but I can't find it now... | > | > I'd like to see a rationale and an explanation of how this data is | > stored peristently. I'm not sure I like the gconf idea. Just recall | > the MS Windows' registry. One thing I _really_ like about *nix | > systems is the ability to use my text editor to configure everything. | | But it doesn't need to be changed. I'm sure it's possible to define | some plain-text format. Today I see config files using key=value, XML | and other formats. It only takes to agree on some common standard and | keep the plain text. | | > I also like including comments so that I can remember why I did a | > certain thing or some syntax or option stuff so I don't have to pour | > through the docs next time. | | This was one of my points. If you can define sort of a template for the | config file, describing the possible values for each item, this is kind | of 'self-describing' and helps to understand the configuration options.
It looks like gconf does what you want (Eric: thanks for the link). That's not quite what I meant, though. I want to put _my_ comments in the files. Comments that have meaning only for me and are not useful for you. I may also want to have several mutually exclusive configs, with all but one commented out. I have this in /etc/network/interfaces on the laptop right now. I have eth0 configured for work, home, and school and I just switch around the comment markers before running ifup. I like the functionality that text files provide that a GUI just can't give you. BTW, can I change the gconf-stored config with vim without some sort of breakage (or ignoring) occuring? gconf looks good, as long as I can maintain arbitrary comments in those xml files and if I can change them with vim and it will seamlessly pick up those changes. -D
